Steel for stringed musical instruments



Dec. 22, 1931. Ll 1,837,270

STEEL FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Dec. 8, 1950 JENTGR 2wflamy K1125572 4 Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES HENRY KAI LIMAI,OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN STEEL FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Applicationfiled December 8, 1930. Serial No. 500,836.

This invention relates to tone-regulating steels for stringedinstruments.

In present practice, such steels must be gripped between the thumb andfingers, and

their manipulation to establish selective string-damping positionsinvolves a flexing and torsion of the wrist muscles which, if at allprotracted, imposes considerable fatigue. An object of the presentinvention is to I13 adapt a steel to be so attached to the hand of amusician as to relieve the hand of supporting effect, and leave thethumb free to effect a rapid angular shifting of the steel, 7eliminating the wrist movement heretofore required.

Another object is to provide a resilient finger piece serving to permita steel to be quickly attached to and detached from a musicians hand,and to impose a torsional force 120 upon the steel tending to yielda-blyestablish it in a normal preferred angular relation to the strings of aguitar or like instrument.

These and various other objects the invention attains by theconstruction hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a guitar, showing the herein-disclosedsteel engaging the strings thereof in a transverse relation thereto.

Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the same, showing the steelengaging the strings, in a diagonal relation thereto.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a position of the steel reverselydiagonal to that shown in Fig. 2. I

Fig. at is an enlarged perspective view of the steel and its resilientfinger piece, indicating how the latter may engage a musicians hand.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the invention, indicating in dash lines anengaged guitar string.

In these views, the reference character 1 designates an ordinary guitar,having the usual strings 2 and fretted neck 3, along which said stringsextend.

In playing such an instrument, the strings are plucked by the righthand, centrally of the sound box, and are stopped with the left hand atselective'points on said neck. To conveniently stop all or a portion ofthe strings, a bar of steel (or other suitable material) maybe held inthe left hand and pressed against the desired strings.

The present invention comprlses a steel bar 4,'and a coiledwirefinger-piece 5 for securing said bar to the index finger of themusician. The damper bar is preferably of steel and cylindrical in form,although not '60 necessarily of that particular metal or form. Thefinger piece 5 consists preferably of a short length of spring wire,forming convolutions spaced and proportioned to form a finger-receivingsocket. Said finger piece engages the steel ecoentrically of its length,and preferably about half-Way between its front end and center. The axisof the finger-engaging coils extends preferably clear of the bar,adjacent to one side of the latter, 7 and preferably inclines slightlytoward the central transverse plane of the bar, in extending from thelatter.

Closely adjacent to the bar the finger-piece comprises one or moreconvolutions 6, the fixis ofwhich is substantially radial to theConnection of the finger piece to the bar is established in anysuitablemanner,'as for example, by inserting an end portion of thespring wire in a saw slot in the bar and closing said slot, by anupsetting of its edges firmly'on the wire.

In use of thedescribed device, the index finger of the musicians lefthand is initially so inserted 'i-ntothe spaced coils of the finger piecethat the middle phalanx of the finger is gripped by'said coils.

en so inserted, the terminal phalanx of the finger lies adjacent to andat one'side of the forward end of the bar. The finger is now turned toterminally rest on the forward end of the bar, the rear end of the barbeing at the same time restrained by the thumb. There results a slighttensioning of the convolution 6 tending to swing the bar to the positionshown in Fig. 2. The bar is now applied to the strings, or any thereof,and its angular relation to the strings is controlled with negligibleefiort by regulation of the restraint imposed by the thumb on the rearend of the bar. A moderate restraint maintains the bar transverse to thestrings as shown in Fig. 1. A slight increase of restraint establishesthe diagonal position of Fig. 3 and a relief of restraint permits thebar to assume the reverse diagonal position of Fig. 2.

It is to be understood that the bar in swinging between its limitingdiagonal positions pivots about the axis of the convolutions 6 and thatsaid convolutions are variably torsioned in selecting desiredinclinations of the bar to the plane of the strings. It may also benoted that the bar can be conveniently established at an inclination tothe plane ot' the strings to facilitate its engagement with the latterindividually or with several adjacent strings independently of theremainder.

Thus, the described bar affords a complete stopping control of thestrings, and in accomplishing this result imposes a minimum of phvsicaleffort upon the controlling hand.

Both the bar and its finger piece are inexpensive. as is likewise theirassembly op eration, and; the resiliency of the finger piece coilsreadily adapts them to fingers varying considerably in size.

Several important advantages accrue from the cylindrical form of thebar, additional to the possibility of cutting it inexpensivelv from areadily available standardsteel product. The described bar has the sameline contact with the strings regardless of its angular position withregard to its longitudinal axis. This is not true of any bar with a flatWorking tace such as have heretofore been used. Furthermore. the linecontact permits the bar to be slipped along or across the strings orswung at an angle to the strings with a minimum of friction and etfort.

While it is apparent that the illustrated embodiment of myinvention iswell calculated to adequately fulfillthe objects and advantagesprimarily stated. it is to be understood that the invention issusceptible to variation, modification and change withinthe spirit andscope of the subjoined' claims.

What I claim is:

1. A steelfor stringed musical instruments comprising a damper bar. anda finger piece comprising coaxial metallic coils for engagement'by afinger establishing an axis clearing the bar andcomprisi'ng aconvolution closely adjacent to the banand having its axis substantiallyradial to the bar.

2. A steel for stringed musical instruments comprising a substantiallycylindrical metallic bar and a socket-forming finger piece securedtosaid bar between, the ends thereof.

3. A steel for-stringed musical instruments comprising a metallic barand a wire finger piece rigidly terminally attached to said bar betweenthe ends of the bar, said finger piece being coiled adjacent to said barabout an axis approximately transverse to the longitudinal axis of thebar, and further integrally comprising a portion coiled about an axisacutely divergent to the axis of the first named coil.

4. A steel for stringed musical instruments comprising a string-engagingbar a member forming a finger socket, and means securing said socket tothe bar in an acutely angular relation to the length oi the bar, saidmeans affording the bar a travel relative to said socket about an axisapproximately t'ansverse to the bar.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

HENRY KAILIMAI.

